Justice Minister Yesilgöz: crackdown on people who attack aid workers on New Year’s

Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz announced that people who attack rescue workers on New Year's Eve will be "severely punished." She warned that New Year's Eve is no exception and that attacks on police officers, firefighters and paramedics could be punished more strictly.

Yeşilgöz paid a working visit to the fire department and police in Almere on Saturday. In recent years, rescue workers were regularly attacked during the turn of the year. According to the Justice Minister, there will be transgressions again this year.

"There is no excuse for this. The moment you attack an emergency worker who is there for your safety, freedom and health, you should be punished really severely," Yeşilgöz told Dutch newspaper Omroep Flevoland. "Don't harass social workers. Otherwise, you have to face consequences for the rest of your life, because you can also be punished very strictly," the minister emphasized.

This is the first time in two years that fireworks have been allowed to be set off again. They were banned in the last two New Year's Eve years because of the pandemic. This resulted in fewer arrests and incidents compared to previous years. The ban was intended to relieve the already strained medical care system.

However, it is illegal to set off firecrackers and flares. In 12 municipalities, residents are also not allowed to set off fireworks.